Panchakki in Aurangabad

Friday, May 2, 2014

Our auto rickshaw driver told us about this place named Panchakki. He told us that it is a water mill. The water which flows here comes from a hill that is located around 11 km away from here.

We were surprised to hear what he told us. He took us to Panchakki so that we believe what he said.

Description of Panchakki

Again our rickshaw passed through narrow lanes and suddenly it stopped. He pointed out to the left stating that the white structure is Panchakki. We need to take ourselves a ticket at a cost of Rs.5 to enter.

The premises are painted white in color. I guess most of the premises in Aurangabad are painted white in color.

Panchakki

Outside the structure there is a diagrammatic representation of how the Panchakki used to function.

Panchakki which is located in Aurangabad displays Medieval Indian Architecture. It used to get water from a place in the mountains.

I could spot a Dargah named Baba Shah Musafir, a garden, and a mosque in the premises of Panchakki.

Baba Shah Musafir Dargah 

I sate below a tree and viewed the marvel created centuries ago. Somehow I believe that our ancestors were far more superior to us in all fields. They managed with the little they had and made marvelous structures.

Hats off to this place.

Shanivar Wada in Pune

Thursday, April 12, 2012

After exploring Aga Khan Palace we decided to explore Shanivar Wada, the second place on our itinerary.

We consulted some local people and, taking their advice, hailed a rickshaw to Shaniwar Wada. It took us around 30 minutes to reach Shaniwar Wada and cost us Rs 80.

Shanivar Wada

There was a huge crowd outside the fort. We wondered if they were all there to see the fort. It turned out that they were all college students out there to celebrate Tie Day and Saree Day.

I was amazed at the sight of the fortification. The huge door with spears at the entrance made the door even more amazing. Within the main door, there was a smaller door to let people in.

Having bought ourselves an entry ticket of Rs 5 to view to fort, we saw a cannon up ahead. It was still intact. We immediately ran over to get a picture.

Cannon inside the premises

There is a huge garden and some broken down structures in the premises. There were a few cannons mounted on rocks on the inside of the fort.

There is a one floor structure above the main entrance. It has two bastions next to it. We climbed up the staircase and onto the first floor. This was like a French window but with no glasses mounted on it. It has been beautifully carved out of wood and polished but has not been touched over the years. The roof was made of wood. 

View from the Bastion



The bastions had small holes in them, through which guns could be mounted for the purpose of shooting at the enemy. They also had small windows cut out in the rocks, which I guess is for the people to see where the enemy was coming from.

From here on the outside we could see the city in front of us and on the inside we could see the garden, the broken down structures and the fortification of the entire place.

There were many such bastions across the fort, and many other doors, like the Narayan Gate, Mastani Gate and Khidki Darwaja, which are currently closed to the public. The doors or Darwajas, as they are called, have the old locking systems installed on them. Even the locking systems were huge as the door was huge. These locking systems on the doors used to protect Shaniwar Wada from outside invasion.

Garden inside the premises

The entire fort is square-shaped and is placed right in the centre of the city with the walls in good condition and a road running around it.

We then started to survey the walls of the fort. The stone walls were so broad that four people could have easily walked hand in hand on it without falling down on the inside.

There are many staircases, narrow and steep, which bring us up to these walls all across the inside of the fort. The walls were used to protect the fort. Secondly, there were rooms built within the walls of the fort. These rooms have now been closed and are guarded by locked iron gates.

Walls of the Fort

I saw a lot of couples hanging around in Shaniwar Wada. Maybe all these are locked to protect the Wada from insiders, caught in the act.

There were two huge circular pillars which were built on two of the bastions. They seemed to have been added recently. As there was no guide at hand to talk about their history, I could only make speculations.

After walking and exploring the fort via the walls, we then came to the ground to explore the garden and the broken down structures around it.

Hithakshi and Me

I don’t know what this was used for, whether it was used to tie the horses or used as a stand for the fire torch, but these were placed all over the fort.

At the entrance of the garden there was a board put up giving information about the famous events that had taken place within the fort. There is one plaque which provides information about the family tree of the Peshwas who had built this fort.

Broken down stuctures in the premises

A special show in the evening showcases a musical garden to spectators. I haven’t seen it but I guess it is similar to the one I saw in Brindavan Gardens in Mysore. Much smaller though.

We then checked the structures all around it. There was an empty water tank which was meant to provide water to a thousand people staying here.

Beautifully crafted Balcony above the main entrance of Shanivar Wada

That took us back in history. What this place might have looked at that time. When one stands on the walls, one can see grounds all across the fort and houses away in the distance and now houses, shops have cropped up all around the fort. A tiny road separates the fort from civilization.

Just imagine what would have happened if the government had taken an early step in restoring these structures before they collapsed. Then we might have got a glimpse of some of that ancient glory. Hopefully, the belated attention will safeguard whatever remains from collapse and destruction.

Wall

It took us around 1½ hours to view this fort in its entirety. Outside the fort there was a huge statue of Shivaji Maharaj put up on a podium. I guess reality shows are held here with the Shaniwar Wada in the backdrop as the stage was being removed and so were the chairs put around it.

On this trip, both food and water were not an issue as they were easily available. There was no need to carry packed water and food. This was an urban trek and not a rural far away from civilization trek, like the ones I usually do.

Narayan Gate

Shaniwar Wada is listed among the names of the most haunted places in Maharashtra. I had read on the internet that the Peshwas had ruled the province; Narayan, the head of the state, had been assassinated under the order of Madhavrao’s wife. The assassins chased Narayan across the fort. It is said that while running he yelled, “Uncle, save me.” It is said that even today locals hear his voice on a full moon day.

As we had come in broad daylight, we were not likely to hear his voice crying for help.

Khidki Darwaza and shelter near the walls

Family tree of Peshwas

I had told Hithakshi about this and she was against visiting this place. I somehow convinced her to accompany me on this trip stating that it is totally safe during the day.  It has to be. After all, the place is packed with people.

The Main Door

We then headed off to board a city bus to take us to Pune City. It cost us Rs 14. This trip had been a good one. Both places had been good sights. We had a few snacks and then headed off to catch a bus that would take us home. I will plan to do the other attractions in Pune, in the coming weekends. So stay tuned to my blog for those too.

View Larger Map

Hanging Garden

Monday, March 26, 2012

Recently I had a pleasant time at Hanging Gardens, also known as Pherozeshah Mehta Garden, and Kamala Nehru Garden, perched on the top of Malabar Hill. From here one can get a view of the Girgaum Chowpatty Beach, the Arabian Sea and Marine Drive, that shimmering stretch that is so well-known as the Queen’s Necklace. The closest railway station is Grant Road on the Western railway line.

Starting off from home, I bought a train ticket to Grant Road. As always, the trains were crowded. I had a tough time getting into the train. It was certainly very difficult. I alighted at Grant Road station. Since the last time I got off at Grant Road station, there have been a number of changes here. One major change that directly helped me was the construction of a skywalk, which connected directly to the overhead bridge connecting the east to the west. The bridge saved me a lot of legwork, I can tell you that.

Entrance to Hanging Garden

Skywalks have been built outside many stations in Mumbai, but I haven’t seen many people using them. They are mostly filled with couples, drug addicts and, you won’t believe this, even cows. I once saw a cow on the skywalk outside Andheri station on the east which connects to Gokhale Bridge.

Anyway, I certainly made use of the skywalk and reached Grant Road Bridge. I crossed over and walked on the right hand side. I came across two bus stops there. One of them caters to buses going to Kamala Nehru Park. Bus numbers 41, 42 and 105 ply to Kamala Nehru Park. Alternatively there are taxis and private vehicles that can take you there.

When I travel, I always prefer to use public modes of transport like trains, buses etc as I get an opportunity to interact with people. Plus you get to really experience a place.

View of Hanging Garden

I bought a ticket to Kamala Nehru Park at a cost of Rs.7. As the bus rumbled along the narrow roads, I saw many old buildings there had been built in the British era. I saw Wilson College, Girgaum Chowpatty. Now we were going up the hill and on my right-hand side, I could see a hillock behind the buildings. “Is that Malabar Hill?” I asked the bus conductor. He replied, “Yes.”

I noticed that the bus was going to Walkeshwar. I had been to Walkeshwar before when I visited Ban Ganga. So I inquired again with the bus conductor and he told me that the bus goes via Walkeshwar as there is no direct turn for buses and heavy vehicles on the way to Malabar Hill as the road is very narrow.

Flowers

Hanging Gardens and Kamala Nehru Park are directly opposite each other. I entered Hanging Gardens. There was no guard positioned at the entry point nor was there an entry fee to view the Garden.

I started my photography session with a bed of flowers there. The flowers were in white, light and dark pink shades and looked lovely amid the bed of green leaves surrounding them.

The park was really well maintained. A round of applause for the keepers of this garden.

Me amongst the Flowers

A memorial stone in the garden stated that the reservoir was laid in 1880 and was extended to hold 30 million gallons of water in 1921. The park is open from 5 am to 9 pm every day.

It was around 3 pm, and the garden was not so crowded. I saw a few couples who had come to spend some time in the park. Also a few families seemed to be out on a picnic. Most of them seemed to be out-of-towners who had come to see Mumbai. They were having lunch. It was certainly the most perfect ambience to enjoy lunch, sitting on the green grass below with the blue sky above and having your lunch surrounded by greenery. A few people were having a short nap.

Animals pruned out of the creepers

There were various types of flowers growing there. I immediately got busy with my photo session. There were flowers everywhere all around. For a moment I felt as if I was in a valley of flowers, somewhere outside Mumbai. The feeling of being one with nature was truly beautiful and I was making the most of it.

There was a watch tower in the garden which gave the time — the correct time. The garden was beautifully cut and pruned, and the green grass, the flowers and the bushes were a nice sight to see.

Old Woman's Shoe vs Me and my shoe

Bushes were trimmed in the form of animals. Creepers were made to grow at the entrances of mini gardens. These creeper doors looked quite nice as the creepers had been neatly trimmed.

The benches were vacant as it was afternoon. Some portions of the park were being redone, and I am assuming that the next time I am back; they too will be as beautiful as the ones that are currently on display.

Chowpatty Beach from Kamla Nehru Park

After shooting plenty of flowers, I decided to head to Kamala Nehru Park on the other side of the road.

Kamala Nehru Park is similar to Hanging Gardens in terms of the maintenance of the park. It is smaller than Hanging Gardens. Occupying an area of 4000 square feet, the park is named Kamala Nehru after the wife of the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru.

View of Kamla Nehru Park

There is an Ashoka Chakra placed on a narrow cylindrical stand in the garden. A little ahead is a huge shoe, a storey tall, looking exactly like the boots I was wearing? This place is very popular for school picnics.

The shoe is known as the Old Woman’s Shoe. I had a tough time climbing up the spiral ladder. It was very narrow and I am huge, and of course the shoe is designed for small children to play in. Somehow I managed to climb up the ladder and then back down. The view from up was not that amazing. All you get to see is the garden in front. The shoe from the inside is subject to the graffiti of some losers who had been here, who have sketched their names all over the inside. Children of course aren’t bothered with such things, and they were having a grand time in the shoe.



Children in the Park



I then headed off to the stretch from where I got the best view of the day. I could see Girgaum Chowpatty beach with the water lashing out on the shore, a few fishing boats in the water, and the beautiful Marine Drive.

I then moved on to see the kids section of the Park. A board states, “Only for children below 12 years of age,” but I saw grownup boys playing on the rides here. In fact they broke it as they were playing.

After seeing these gardens in their entirety, I admired the way they had been maintained. Again a round of applause for the keepers of these parks. The walk in the park was nice and refreshing for me and I enjoyed myself here. I recommend this park to everyone in Mumbai.

Brindavan Gardens

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

The Brindavan Gardens are located near the Krishnarajasagara dam which was built across the river Kaveri in Mysore.

State Transport buses and private buses ply regularly from Mysore to these gardens. One can also visit this place by a private vehicle. There is complete chaos on the ground where the vehicles are parked and one can easily get lost in this place. The parking lot is so big that it can accommodate around 100 big buses so when you plan to visit this place do  remember to keep the bus number or the driver’s contact number as it will be very useful in locating the bus.

Water Fountain in the Garden

The gardens were completed in 1932 after 5 years of work. They are visited by approximately 2 million tourists yearly and the number just keeps rising every year.

The gardens are open to the public throughout the day. The musical show, however, is held only in the evening. Large numbers of people come to see the evening musical show.

Water Fountain in the Garden

The garden is around 60 acres wide and has some of the most exotic trees on the face of the earth. Kudos to the people who have helped to maintain this garden to date.

In the evening, musical shows are held. There are many water fountains here with multi-colored lights popping out of the fountains. Everyone around was busy in shooting pictures, but then everything around was certainly worth photographing.

Water Fountain in the Garden

 The musical gardens are located at the end of the garden and are a major crowd-puller among all the fountains here. You need to sit all around the circular fountain to see it. It is a 15-minute show in which Hindi and Kannada songs are played with musical lights and the fountain water is programmed to dance to the beat of the music. Have you ever seen something like this? Not me.

Water Fountain in the Garden

I was totally impressed by these gardens and heartily recommend them to anyone visiting Mysore.

Lalbagh Gardens, Bangalore

Sunday, January 9, 2011

The Lalbagh Gardens are also known as the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens. The map of the garden seems to indicate that it is a very big place so I decided to go over it as fast as possible as it was almost evening and I was pressed for time.

Entrance to Lalbaagh Gardens

Getting here was quite difficult as most of the people who I stopped to ask for directions didn’t know about the place. I had to take my chances and rely heavily on luck and it was a wonder I finally got there.

The Gardens are scattered over 240 acres and house around 3417 plants.

There are lots of places or star attractions to see here, mainly the Glass House, the Kempe Gowda Tower, the Rock, the Floral Clock, the Statue Garden, the Rosery, the Lotus Pond, the Lalbagh Pond and the Island.

Watch

Very few people come to see this place. The only people I could spot were couples. There is a huge HMT (Hindustan Machine Tools) clock in the middle of the garden. Over the years, the dial has been almost obscured by overgrown plants, but the clock is still in working condition. Impressive!

Circular Hall

The grounds also host a small circular hall, complete with seating arrangements, where musicians played in the evening.

I saw plenty of squirrels playing around the trees and the birds persisted in chirping away to glory. My knowledge about birds is very poor, I should say. I could only name a few, such as crows, pigeons, sparrows, parrots, kingfisher, cuckoo, eagles, and vultures. There were a lot of birds that I could not see very clearly, but I could certainly hear them.

Their chirping sounded like a soothing melody to my ears and I decided to stay there to listen to some more natural music.

River

Later, I headed over to the bridge next to the river floating there. The view was just amazing — blue skies with a few white clouds in the sky, green trees all around the water and the river itself with green water waves as if there was a pattern in the water.

This reminded me of the wallpapers we have on our computers. I used to think that they were unreal, conjured up through computer graphics. Now I know they really do exist. I felt as if I was in the middle of nature at its very best with no modernization for company.

Glass House

Next was the Glass House. The structure looked old. It was old. Hehe. Various types of plants were growing in it. This building was built in 1889 to commemorate the visit of the Prince Albert of Wales to Bangalore. The design of this Garden is very much similar to that of the Crystal Palace in London.

Here is a secret. Again my knowledge about plants is very poor. Shame. I will make sure I read up on plants and birds. The knowledge will help in my future trips.

There is a small miniature statue of Nandi located on the steps of the Glass House. Nandi seems to be a popularly worshipped deity around here as there are similar statues everywhere.

Next I headed to a rock surface which has a small temple atop it. This mixture of granite and other rocks is called the Peninsular Gneiss. You can view the entire city from here.